The title of this blog comes from my favorite craigslist post of all time: Help me keep the shell people alive. I didn't write that post, and I don't know who did, but it moved me. When I first read that post, I realized that I was one of the "shell users" described therein. It felt good to understand that I was not alone; that my people, although few in number, were out there.

This blog focuses mostly on using Linux, and the Linux console in particular. It is, however, a personal blog, and sometimes other topics may crop up.

I'm an attorney living in Albany, NY, although I miss the South (TN & NC especially). I also do some tech consulting for small law firms, and design the occasional website.

Below I've included the full text of the original craigslist post, in case by cruel chance it disappears from the the craigslist hall of fame.

Help me keep the shell people alive.

Date: 2007-11-21, 6:46PM EST

There is a sad truth to the world today. I am part of a dying breed of people known as "shell users." We are an old-fashioned bunch, preferring the warm glow of a green screen full of text over the cold blockiness of a graphical interface. We use ssh, scp, and even occassionally ftp. Back in the days before high-speed connections ("broadband"), we would dial up during off-hours to avoid being slammed with huge phone bills. The whole "Microsoft Windows" fad will fade away sooner or later, but in the interim, our kind is facing extinction.

Because there are fewer and fewer of us, I must help keep our lineage alive. I am looking for someone to help me do this. I need a woman (obviously) who is willing to raise a child with me in the method of Unix. Our child will be introduced to computers at a young age, and will be setting emacs mode before any other child can even read. I earn a sufficient income to support a family in modest comfort. Other than the fact our child will be bright, text-based and sarcastic, we will otherwise be a normal family. We will even go to Disney World and see Mickey Mouse.

So, if you are a woman between the ages of 23 and 43 who is ready to raise a child in the way of the shell, let me know so we can begin the process. (If you are ready to raise more than one child, even better.)

PS - yes, this is for real. Given the right person, I would obviously propose before we ... call fork().
PPS - I only set emacs mode for my ksh session. I only edit files using vi. Just wanted to clear that up. And I'm looking to raise the child(ren) as a dedicated couple, so if you aren't interested in being married, you may wish to select() a different posting.

N.B. - on the issue of relocation. I live in a place where my income/expense ratio is proper (i.e., greater than 2:1). I'm willing to live anywhere in the world where this remains true. I've been to much of the country as well as foreign nations. There are no limits to where I will live *so long as the job market for unix admins is robust enough to be sustainable.* And yes, I am interested in a strictly monogamous situation. I've been known to actually turn down offers of "two chicks at the same time."

Location: Typical Rich Town, CT

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests